People, Places & Events

Mabank firefighters clown around
Three attend clown college with Ringling Bros. circus
as part of International Clown Week
By Pearl Cantrell
Monitor Staff Writer
DALLAS–About 40 clowns from local East Texas fire departments, including three from the Mabank Volunteer Fire Department, converged on the Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey Circus Wednesday to get tips, gags and stunts from the professionals of “The Greatest Show on Earth.”
These “characterization educators” help capture children’s attention to teach fire safety and bring attention to fire prevention.
The professional clowns enjoyed meeting and hearing what these heros in white face do to help protect their communities, which included Mansfield, Benbrook, Lewisville, Cedar Hill, Stephenville, Flower Mound, Little Elm, Coppell and Krum. Mabank was one of the smallest communities represented.
“If you want to be more than a guy in funny clothes and makeup, you have to develop a character that expresses itself in the way it walks, talks and reacts,” head RBBB clown Leo Acton said.
He and his co-stars demonstrated funny walks that lead with different body parts and postures.
Firefighters also learned how to do slapstick without hurting their partner and how to get the timing down to portray a convincing blow.
Circus clowns also demonstrated the play between a self-important dominant character and a subservient humble character, such as other great duos Laurel and Hardy, Abbott and Costello and Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis.
Firefighters worked in three major groups to view demonstrations and to practice techniques in juggling, makeup and wardrobe, along with practicing gags.
The workshops rotated between the three groups and ended in a question and answer period about the clowning profession and an autographing session.
As much as the firefighters were thrilled to get such one-on-one attention from the professionals, the circus clowns also felt honored to stand in the presence of everyday heroes.
The circus treated the firefighters and their families to seats at the Wednesday night performance and included the firefighters in their preshow on the arena floor.


Monitor Photo/Pearl Cantrell
Professional clowns demonstrate getting carried
away as an exit from a gag for a group of clown firefighters
during clown college at the circus Wednesday.

Monitor Photo/Pearl Cantrell
Mabank’s ResQ/John Sullivan taps Q2/Kyle McAfee on the chest in an effort
to find out if he is really dead or just faking, as part of a time-stretching act.
Higbee/Mat Ewaskiw (right) works with his own partner on the gag.

Setback rules modified for owners of multiple lots
By Pearl Cantrell
Monitor Staff Writer
MABANK–The Mabank City Council retuned its rules for setbacks on property lines to accommodate owners of multiple lots Monday.
“This allows property owners to build on lot lines when they own more than one lot that are next to each other,” city administrator Louann Confer explained.
The multiple lots or half lots will be treated as one lot, simplifying getting insurance coverage and nixing the need for replatting, Mayor Larry Teague said.
The initial request came on behalf of owners at the 505 Ranch, Confer added.
The council also approved a rule prohibiting skateboards, skates and bicycles on the sidewalks on East Market Street between Second and Third streets.
This is the block the city hall and other busy locations are located on and with school out there have been some near misses, Confer noted.
Violation of the ordinance is a Class A misdemeanor and subject to a fine up to $500.
In other business, council members:
• proclaimed Aug. 1-7 International Clown Week in Mabank.
• authorized the mayor to send a letter to Gun Barrel City EDC supporting its bid to become a Certified Retirement Community.
• annexed .98 acres on S. Ninth St. owned by Kyle Douglas Key into the city.
• adopted a resolution supporting the discontinuation of the diversion of transportation user revenues to non-transportation uses. The petition was sent from the mayor of Melissa for hand delivery to the Senate Sub-Committee on Transportation prior to the convening of the 2009-10 Legislature.
• determined two structures are unsafe and issued orders for demotion. The structures are located at 404 N. First Street and 210 E. Pine St. The latter includes a stay of demolition for 120 days, while the owners try to resolve some Medicaid issues and remove belongings from the house.

Library fund-raiser slated for Sept. 20
Special to The Monitor
SEVEN POINTS–It’s almost time for the kids to go back to school.
That means you’ll probably be making more trips to The Library at Cedar Creek Lake, because when school’s out for the day, the library will still be there to help you and your children learn, study and grow.
It’s important to remember that The Library at Cedar Creek Lake is funded mostly by donations from private individuals and fund-raisers.
It’s imperative that we support the library, so in the spirit of support, don’t forget that there will be a super fund-raiser held for The Library at Cedar Creek Lake Saturday, Sept 20, at the Triple N Ranch called “Denim and Diamonds.”
It will feature entertainment by “The Brazos Valley Boys” and will be co-hosted by Gloria Compos and Dino Perelli.
A $100 donation will get you dinner, dancing, live and silent auctions and games.
It’s a win/win scenario.
You get a night of great entertainment, a fabulous meal and more fun than you can shake a stick at, and The Library at Cedar Creek Lake gets some funding to continue on with the great work they do for the community.
Tickets are available at Citizens State Bank, Mabank (see Leland Pitts), First State Bank, GBC (see Sue Cardin), First National Bank of Kemp, Seven Points (see Jim Taylor), Southside Bank Seven Points, Brookshire’s (see Ralph Fortner), Cedar Creek Country Club (see Rick and Kristen Brown) and Pinnacle Golf and Boat Club (see Walter Prindle), or by calling Nan Creel at (903) 778-4288 or Charli Black at (903) 432-9190.
Also, don’t forget that there are still plenty of opportunities to sponsor and underwrite this worthy event.
If you just can’t make the event, but still want to help, you can donate money (any denomination) to the Library online. To learn more, to donate, or to become a sponsor, log on to www.DenimandDiamondsEvent.com.